Tip-cup.



F. L. FITHIAN.

TIP CUP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1912.

Patented Feb; 1`1, 1913.

STA i TIP-CUP.

T 0 all whom t mag/ concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK L. FITHIAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Haddonfield, Camden county, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Tip-Cups, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tip-cups employed with umbrellas to hold the tips of the ribs against the rod or stick, and the object of my invention is to providea simple form of tip-cup, loose upon the rod or stick, which tip-cup may be placed upon any umbrella without affecting its construction and employed to hold the rib tips when the umbrella is folded.

My improved tip-cup is also slidable along the rod or stick to serve as a means of releasing the upper catch retaining the runner in place when the umbrella is open.

Tip-cups made in accordance with my improved construction are small, neat, readily assembled upon an umbrella rod, easily operated and very efficient in action.

These and other features of my invention are more fully set forth hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l, is a view, partly in section, showing one form of tip-cup embodying my .invention in position to retain the rib tips of an umbrella; Fig. 2, is a view, partly in section, showing the manner in which the form of tip-cup shown in Fig. l may pass the lower catch of an umbrella; Fig. 3, is a view, partly in section, showing the manner in which the form of tip-cup shown in Fig. l may be employed to release the catch retaining the runner when the umbrella is open; Fig. 4, is an enlarged sectional elevation of the form of improved tip-cup shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3; Fig. 5, is a similar sectional view illustrating a modified construction; Fig. 6, is a detached perspective view of the several parts comprising the form of tip-cup shown in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4, and Figs. 7 8, 9, 10 and l1, are sectional views of other forms of tip-cups within the scope of my invention.

One form of my improved tip-cup is made in a plurality of parts, preferably not more tha-n three, and while in most instances these parts are substantially the same, their shape may vary slightly, and the mode or manner of connecting them together may also vary,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 10, 1912.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

Serial No. 708,695.

without departing from the scope of my invention.

In the structure shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and, l represents an outer part or shell, and 2 an inner part or shell, of a hollow sleeve or colla-r loose upon an umbrella rod or stick 3.

The part or shell l comprises a wall 1a substantially paralleling the rod or stick, and a wall 1b which may be and preferably is integral with the wall 1L and disposed at right. angles thereto; a bead 4 being preferably formed at the angle or junction of these walls. The free end of the wall lb may be offset from the major surface of the same as indicated at lc for a purpose to be described.

The part or shell 2 comprises a truncated conical member with a curved wall 2'r1 joining a straight portion 2b lying adjacent the rod or stick 3; the curved portion having a flange 2c which may overlie the wall la, and the straight portion 2b having a flange 2d which may overlie the inner edge of the wall 1h and rest in the depression 1c of the same; such portion 2b being also provided with a rib 2e which may form with the flange 2d an annular seat for the depressed edge of said wall 1b.

Slidably disposed with respect to the sleeve or collar formed by the parts or shells 1 and 2, is a sleeve 5, having a smaller diameter at one end, which may be formed by an in turned edge 5a, to prevent removal from said hollow collar or sleeve, and a bead or rib 5b at its opposite end for ease of manipulation.

The several parts may be assembled in the manner indicated and then placed on the rod or stick 3 before the handle 6 is secured thereto. The tip-cup is free to move on the stick, and when the umbrella is folded, the tips of the ribs may be brought close around the stick and confined by the sleeve 5, whose frictional contact with the rest of the structure is sufficient to hold such sleeve in any relatively desirable position, as indicated in Fig. 1.

When the umbrella is open and it is desired to fold or close the same, the shell or collar forming the tip-cup and composed of the parts l and 2 and the sleeve 5 may be readily slipped along the same, the deep curve of the inner portion 2 enabling it to readily pass the lower catch 7 for the runner 8, and then by sliding it upward along the stick the upper catch 9 holding said runner 8 may be readily released; the curved portion enabling it to pass over and depress the catch 9 sufficiently to release the runner; thereby preventing pinching of the ngers between the catch and runner, so often occurring in the release of said upper catch. The tip-cup may then be drawn down with the runner to its usual position adjacent the handle ready to receive the rib tips when the umbrella is folded.

In the form of structure shown in Fig. 5, the sleeve or collar is made in one part, comprising walls l0 and 20; the wall l0 having an enlarged portion 10a forming a rib for engagement with a sleeve mounted eXteriorly of the same, while the wall 20 has a curved portion 2Oa and a straight portion 2Ob joining the same and slidable on the rod or stick.

In Fig. T, I have shown a two-part structure, comprising an elongated tubular shell 30 with a flaring or bellsshaped mouth 31 readily passing over the catches to release the runner, with a separate tip-cup 32 slidable on said shell and retained frictiona'lly therewith in various positions.

In Fig. 8, I have shown another form of two-part structure in which the sleeve 30@L is only slightly naring at 3la at its upper end and carries a tip-cup 32, with a sleeve portion 33 overlying the sleeve 30a. The lower portion of the latter is flared outward slightly so as to retain the tip-cup therewith against separation.

In Fig. 9, the sleeve 301 is flared t-o the same curve as the lower part of the tip-cup.

In Figs. 10 and l1, I have shown an embodiment of my invention made in a single piece, comprising a sleeve-like port-ion 40 to fit over the rod or stick; a flaring part 4.1 to pass over the catch 7 and serve as the means for disengaging the catch 9, with a cupped portion 42 to receive the tips of the ribs. It will be noted that the bottom of the cup extends below the top of the flaring portion 4l. The form of structure shown in Fig. 11,

is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. l0, except that the cup is shaped differently; the respective parts being indicated` at 40a, 41a and 42a.

The improved structure forming the subject of my invention may be made of any suitable metal, gold, silver or the like. If desired, means may be provided to retain the structure adjacent the handle when not employed in its various functions.

I claim:

l. The combination with the rod or stick of an umbrella, of a.tip holding means fashioned with a tip cup for receiving and holding the ends or tips of the ribs of the umbrella, and a part slidable wit-h the cup and fitting the rod or stick, and having an outwardly flared portion adapted to contact with the catches carried by the rod or stick, said flared portion and the cupportion being both presented in the same direction and merging one into the other when arranged to operatively hold the ends of said ribs.

2. The combination with a rod or stick of an umbrella, of a pair of telescoping sleeves, one of said sleeves being outwardly flared at one end to form a receiving cup for the ends or tips of the ribs of the umbrella, and the other sleeve fitting and being slidably mounted on the rod or stick and having an outwardly flared end entering the cup of the first-named sleeve and nest-ing therein when one sleeve is extended relatively to the other, and serving as the means for engaging the catches carried by the rod or stick and for connecting the two sleeves so thatthey may be moved together in one direction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK L. FITHIAN.

Witnesses MURRAY C. BOYER, Jos. I-I. KLEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Gommissoner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

